What was next for Daniel Bogden?
by user MisterApologist http://bp1.blogger.com/_z0mKPqzPNCQ/RgP-b8tF1TI/AAAAAAAAAG4/qNGfRgM6qzg/s1600-h/Daniel+Bogden.jpg The political corruption investigation instituted by now fired US Attorney Daniel Bogden which utilized the Patriot Act for the first time in a non-terrorism related case not only highlighted $190,000 in campaign contributions by billionaire Sheldon Adelson (who's political connections are well established in my older posts) but also left him vulnerable to being charged with his own crimes for the manner in which he used nearly $2 million dollars in 1998 to not only get convicted felon Lance Malone elected into the county commission but also attempted to force other members from their seats. (The County Commission is extremely powerful in Las Vegas and possibly worth $2 million dollars to someone with a large vested interest like Mr. Adelson.) The investigation by Daniel Bogden that led to three convictions of former members of the County Commission also opened up the possibility that Sheldon Adelson could be investigated for his interference in earlier County Commissions. The only way to kill this investigation before it started was to have Mr. Bogden removed before the first corruption investigation was completed. Sheldon Adelson donated $10,000 dollars to Governor Jim Gibbons' secret legal fund EXACTLY one day before the official resignation of Daniel Bogden was to take place. The Gibbon's campaign initially said it was a "gift." They also initially "left" Sheldon Adleson off the list of donors by "mistake." Sheldon Adelson either buys his enemies silence or pays people to silence his enemies for him. I will prove both of these claims: From the Review Journal August 28, 2005: http://bp2.blogger.com/_z0mKPqzPNCQ/RgP-cMtF1UI/AAAAAAAAAHA/tI1t4wiGY4c/s1600-h/Sheldon2.jpg > > Adelson wasn't satisfied with just being a high-flying businessman. He yearned to spread his conservative, antiunion philosophy. He spent $2 million to support local candidates, and his battle against the Culinary union made him such a polarizing figure that his support for anyone was like the kiss of a black-widow spider. He was hated by a large segment of the voters. > > In 1998, with the Venetian under construction, Adelson financed a $2 million advertising blitz. Its purpose was to oust two incumbent commissioners and prevent a new one from gaining a seat. It fizzled like wet fireworks.... Adelson had one success. He got former police officer Lance Malone elected to the County Commission. Malone was defeated after one term in office following an ethics scandal and was later indicted in a federal corruption case. From the Las Vegas Sun January 22, 2005 : > > As defined in the law, a "person" could also refer to a corporation or partnership or political action committee - that is, they too, supposedly, are bound by these strictures. Supposedly. > > Now gaze at what is happening this year. > > Las Vegas Sands boss Sheldon Adelson, who is a person with many corporations, has used various entities to make a mockery of these limits. > > Bundling through various corporations, Adelson has sent contributions totaling nearly six figures to Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons' campaign for governor. Adelson has sent almost as much to Attorney General George Chanos' election bid, and another $35,000 to Treasurer Brian Krolicki's attempt to move up to lieutenant governor. From the Las Vegas Sun March 21, 2007 : Ruling in Trepp case raises questions about Gibbons' role: > A federal judge's ruling Monday has brought into clear relief a question of importance to Nevada: Did Gov. Jim Gibbons, while serving in the U.S. Congress, influence the Justice Department - directly or through intermediaries - to intervene in a civil dispute on behalf of his friend Warren Trepp?... Trepp bought political muscle by paying off Gibbons with campaign contributions, cash and gifts. Gibbons then used his contacts with the Air Force and the Justice Department to pressure them to intervene in the civil dispute. > > The FBI is investigating Gibbons, examining his relationship with Trepp, for whose Reno company, eTreppid Technologies, he helped secure valuable defense contracts. From Scipps News : Details sought on governor's legal defense fund > Secretary of State Ross Miller wants to know more about a legal defense fund set up for Gov. Jim Gibbons and why the governor failed to report $169,100 the fund collected last year on his Jan. 16 financial disclosure statement. > > Miller, a Democrat, sent the Republican governor a letter seeking a fuller explanation of the "substantial monetary gifts" that went unreported until Gibbons filed an amended disclosure statement Tuesday. From the Las Vegas Sun March 07, 2007 : Gibbons' legal, political troubles adding up > > Gibbons on Tuesday amended a previous financial disclosure form with the secretary of state's office, disclosing the existence of a legal defense fund and its donors - and describing the donations as "gifts." > > The 24 names listed include the company owned by Gibbons' campaign adviser Sig Rogich; developer Jay Brown; three companies controlled by lobbyist and developer Harvey Whittemore; and the New Frontie > > ... A discrepancy arose, however, between the documents and oral statements made by the fund's accountant, David Turner, in an interview with the Sun on Tuesday. > > Turner said there are 28 donors. He said Las Vegas Sands Corp. and the Venetian, both controlled by Sheldon Adelson, had contributed. Neither appeared on the filing. > > The last donation was made Feb. 27, Turner said. From the Las Vegas Sun on March 21, 2007 : Jon Ralston on what a secret slush fund tells us about Gibbons > > Ask yourself this question: How could it be that the governor thought it was kosher to set up the fund in the darkness - never even asking federal or state authorities for guidance or registering it with either government - and only when a light was shined by the media did he reluctantly open the door to disclosure? And ask yourself this, too: When did he actually intend to disclose money being donated to this fund by major political players and others with interests before him if he did not do it when he was a congressman, as required by law, and only did so tardily on state documents after he was found out? From the Las Vegas Sun March 21, 2007 : > > It took two weeks of badgering from Secretary of State Ross Miller, but Gov. Jim Gibbons on Tuesday finally turned over copies of $169,100 in checks made out to the governor's legal defense fund last year.... The secretary of state said he accepted Pagni's explanation in a letter last Friday that the subject simply got lost in the shuffle in January as the new governor was focusing on putting together his budget, delivering his State of the State address and preparing for the legislative session. > > In a previous letter, Pagni was more combative, suggesting that Nevada law did not address legal funds or require the governor to report the contributions, which primarily went to fend off unproved allegations that Gibbons assaulted a woman outside a Las Vegas restaurant . > > Pagni informed Miller last week that the defense fund was paying its "final bills" and would be shut down soon. From the Vegas Review Journal: May 7, 2004 : Kennys purchase $869,000 house: Despite legal woes, ex-official moves to exclusive area: > > http://bp2.blogger.com/_z0mKPqzPNCQ/RgP-4MtF1VI/AAAAAAAAAHI/UwvSVL9i6qs/s1600-h/erin.jpg > > Former Clark County Commissioner Erin Kenny, who has pleaded guilty to felony political corruption charges, recently purchased a Summerlin home worth nearly $900,000, records show.... Clark County records show Erin and John Kenny bought the home at 9001 Night Owl Court for $869,000 from former Venetian lead counsel David Friedman and his wife, Abbie, an attorney with the prominent firm of Lionel, Sawyer & Collins. > > David Friedman served as an attorney and adviser at The Venetian for nearly a decade. Ironically, it was David Friedman's boss, Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson, who launched a vicious advertising blitz in 1998 in an attempt to unseat Kenny. > > Adelson-sponsored television commercials accused Kenny of overspending and engaging in back-room deals. He also targeted pro-union Commissioner Myrna Williams and Herrera, who was running for the County Commission for the first time. All were elected despite the ads. > > Despite her legal troubles and the hiring of well-known attorney Frank Cremen, Kenny's lifestyle appears to have improved since her guilty plea. > > Her five children are still enrolled in the private Meadows School, where tuition ranges from $11,000 to $14,000 a year, depending on the grade level of the student. > > The Kennys secured two mortgages on their new home from First Western Funding LLC, according to county records. The first mortgage is for $650,000 and the second is for $175,500. ( First Western Funding LLC has the same founders as America's Mortgage Superstore and their headquarters according to their addresses are less than 1 mile apart. America's Mortgage Superstore has surrendered their mortgage license in Florida and Washington) The mortgages that were "secured" through now closed branches in Florida and Washington were themselves insured through Capitol Indemnity which is a subsidiary of the Allegheny Corporation. The Co-Founder of Allegheny was Allan Prince Kirby whose son Fred M. Kirby II is the chairman of the board at Allegheny and is deeply involved with the work of the F. M. Kirby Foundation which is an extremely conservative foundation with over half a billion dollars in their accounts. From Activist Cash.com : > > The F.M. Kirby Foundation gives most of its "public policy" grants to right-wing organizations. Kirby has been a major funder of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), one of the most prominent conservative organizations on college campuses. ISI's annual budget of $5 million funds more than 60 conservative student newspapers and pays for conservative speakers like Oliver North to speak at campuses across the country. Its 23-acre national headquarters in Delaware is called the "F.M. Kirby Campus" in recognition of the $1.5 million grant—the largest single grant in ISI's history—that the Kirby Foundation provided to pay for its purchase. > > Kirby is also a major funder of the Young America's Foundation (YAF), which also sponsors conservative activism on campus. YAF's annual budget is close to $9 million, and, like ISI, its national headquarters is named after the Kirby Foundation in appreciation of the grant that paid for it. Isn't that just the nicest thing in the world for a mortgage company to do? Give over $800,000 to a convicted felon so that they can buy a property from the former lead council to the Venetian. Why that mortgage company seems like the nicest bunch of fellas I've ever heard of... I'm sure Mr. Adelson wasn't trying to silence a former enemy now heading to prison by ensuring that her family will be taken care of while she is away. He would never do something like that... And it's not like Erin Kenny is greedy or willing to commit crimes to benefit her family.... ***More Updates Soon*** __NOEDITSECTION__ Category: Opinions Category: Opinions by User MisterApologist Category: March 23, 2007 Category: Sheldon Adelson Opinions Category: Lance Malone Opinions Category: Daniel Bogden Opinions Category: Carol C Lam Opinions Category: Democrats Opinions Category: Republicans Opinions Category: Opinion Opinions Category: News Opinions Category: Corruption Opinions Category: US Attorney Opinions Category: Alberto Gonzales Opinions Category: Karl Rove Opinions Category: Patriot Act Opinions Category: Las Vegas Opinions Category: Nevada Opinions Category: President Bush Opinions Category: Harriet Miers Opinions Category: Attorney General Opinions Category: Campaign Donations Opinions Category: Ethics Commission Opinions Category: Mark Corallo Opinions Category: G-Sting Opinions Category: California Opinions Category: Blog Opinions Category: Galardi Opinions Category: Chicago Tribune Opinions Category: Gibbons Jim Opinions Category: Warren Trepp Opinions Category: Montgomery Opinions Category: Ross Miller Opinions Category: Legal Fund Opinions Category: Disclosure Statement Opinions Category: Las Vegas Sun Opinions Category: Libertarian Opinions Category: Green Opinions Category: Sig Rogich Opinions Category: Jay Brown Opinions Category: Harvey Whittemore Opinions Category: David Turner Opinions Category: Jon Ralston Opinions Category: Erin Kenny Opinions Category: Bribe Opinions Category: Felon Opinions Category: David Friedman Opinions Category: First Western Funding LLC Opinions Category: America's Mortgage Superstore Opinions Category: Allegheny Opinions Category: Allan Prince Kirby Opinions Category: Fred M. 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